The song is a first person account of a man who has worked for fifteen years with no apparent reward, and it struck a chord with the public, even inspiring a 1981 film of the same name.

[citation needed] The subject matter on Family Album runs the gamut for a country record, populated by songs about heartache, alcoholism, and adultery.

It opens with the title track, a seven-minute recollection of childhood and family life with a spoken introduction similar to previous Coe recordings like "Daddy Was a God Fearing Man".

"Million Dollar Memories" is a stellar approximation of the country songs Jerry Lee Lewis recorded on Mercury Records, with Coe mimicking Jerry Lee's vocal delivery and even saying "Think about it," one of the Killer's favourite in-song expressions, while Nashville session pianist Hargus "Pig" Robbins cops Lewis's piano flourishes.

Coe composed seven of the ten tracks on Family Album himself, one of the exceptions being "Whole Lot of Lonesome", a rare co-write with George Jones.